Detroit Lakes will be one of the Department of Minnesota Veterans of Foreign Wars’ ‘Rally Points’ for the weeklong Ride For Healing.

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All veterans and the community are invited to the Jess-Omundson VFW Post 1676 on May 28 at 10:30 a.m.

State Veterans of Foreign Wars Commander Lee Ulferts has asked that all Communities statewide gather for a weeklong event honoring the sacrifice and service of our Vietnam veterans. Additionally, Ulferts is calling for donations to build the Education Center at the National Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.

“As a Combat Wounded Veteran of Vietnam, I see this as a ‘healing’ process and the welcome home that many Vietnam veterans never received,” Ulferts said.

Additionally, Ulferts said, “The Education Center at the National Vietnam Veterans Memorial will house the ‘legacy’ of the Vietnam Veteran and their sacrifices.”

The purpose of the Education Center will be a place that touches the heart and teaches the mind, enhancing the memorial experience for people of all ages and walks of life, taking them on a journey through layers of storytelling and history.

More than 40 percent of the 4 million visitors to The Wall each year are too young to remember what was the longest war in America. To them, the long list of names etched in the smooth black granite are faceless with no connection. The Education Center will be located at the Wall.

The Ride for Healing week will start at the Minnesota Vietnam Veterans Memorial in St. Paul on May 27 and end in Brainerd on May 31 for a two-day event which features the AVTT Traveling Wall, Military Flyovers, Ceremonies and entertainment.

The Detroit Lakes rally is scheduled for May 28 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Jess-Omundson VFW Post 1676. An official of the state Veterans of Foreign Wars will deliver a message honoring and thanking our Vietnam veterans for their service.

There will also be a question and answer session for members of the community.

There are several teams participating in the Ride for Healing. The one traveling through Detroit Lakes will start in St. Paul and go through Brooklyn Park, Monticello, Fergus Falls, Detroit Lakes, Moorhead, East Grand Forks, Crookston, Thief River Falls, Roseau, Bemidji, Menahga, New York Mills, Wadena and Randall, ending at Camp Ripley.